Ten students from across Pickaway County competed Saturday in the Rotary International Four-Way Speech Contest sponsored by the Circleville Rotary and Sunrise Rotary clubs.
“I’m always amazed at the talent and presentation of the students at our Rotary Speech Contest,” Circleville Noon Rotary President Warren Spangler said. “The speeches are centered around the Rotary International Four Way Test. With that in mind, each of the contestants speaks about how they use the four way testing in their personal lives. And they have a lot of support from their teacher’s, family, and friends. I would like to thank all of them for their hard work.”
A past president of Circleville Sunrise Rotary and a key organizer of the contest, Marie Wilbanks added,
“The Rotary Speech Contest asks students to view a dilemma through the lens of the four-way test. The contest teaches high schoolers about the core beliefs of Rotary while encouraging them to grapple with an important question in their life. The confidence and focus needed to formally speak in public are also important skills for leaders, and we believe this contest helps students build these competencies.”
Capturing first place, winning $300 each and advancing to the district contest April 19, are Crystal Candlish (Westfall senior) and Julia Weller (Logan Elm junior). Nick Brooks (Westfall junior) took second, and Laina Welch (Westfall freshman) took third, winning $200 and $100, respectively. Also competing from Westfall were freshman Addyson Beebe, senior Rachael Baird, sophomore Dalton Bush, freshman Lydia Colahan, junior Ben Egbert and freshman Sophia Graham.
The two first-place winners at Saturday’s event — representing both the Circleville Noon Rotary Club and the Circleville Sunrise Rotary Club — will progress to the District competition scheduled for April 19.
Earlier this month, much like high schools near and far across Pickaway County, Westfall students had their own contest, the first round enroute to Saturday’s countywide competition.
Mustangs’ advisor Heather Hook said students selected a critical issue to present to a panel of judges, being sure to apply solutions to Rotary’s four ethical questions on truth, fairness, and friendship.
In Westfall’s Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Contest, the top finishers were: 1st place, Addyson Beebe and Nick Brooks; 2nd place, Sophia Graham; 3rd place, Ben Egbert; 4th place, Crystal Candlish; 5th place, Joni Snyder; 5th place, Lydia Colahan; and 6th place, David Kirk. The contest’s panel of judges was Kim Davey, Liz Durflinger, Mark Schaffnit, and Randy Williams.
Hook spoke to the Herald about the Mustangs’ preparation for the speech contest.
“I am beyond proud of their perseverance and hard work over the past few weeks,” she said.
Hook said the speech topics explored by the students were diverse, ranging from personal anecdotes to ethical questions. Some include fresh perspectives on adoption, the current state of education, the impact of alcoholism and addiction on children, navigating adolescence with young parents, the urbanization of rural communities, the influence of environmental factors on behavior, discussions on red-40, the shifting dynamics of traditional gender roles in relationships, the intersection of technology and artificial intelligence, and the critical issue of mental health in teens, among countless others.
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, I firmly believe that public speaking is an indispensable skill, especially among the challenges of fostering genuine connections,” Hook said. “Students want authentic interactions. However, acquiring the necessary skills for face-to-face communication is becoming increasingly harder. My goal is to equip students with these vital tools for navigating the complexities of interpersonal relationships in the digital age.”
Erika Konowalow of Circleville Sunrise Rotary contributed Saturday’s results to this story — much thx!
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